Design Shop
by cloudsdale
Summary: Twelve year olds act like they just ate a whole bag of sugar and washed it down with energy drink. Leo should know not only because he was that kid but because he ended up subbing in for Annabeth's design class while she's on leave. (fixed the problem and code blarg that showed up on chapter 2, sorry about that)
1. Chapter 1

**This is two pages, I'm impressed with myself also I need sleep I don't own the characters.**

How in hades are you supposed to teach a design class when none of the students have even been in a workshop to begin with? Seriously, Annabeth talks so highly of her class and how "astute" her students are, whatever that means.

" _Not only can I keep an eye out for other half bloods but I can have a peaceful environment to work on my blueprints and even teach a new generation to love architecture and blah blah blah"_

Anyway, long story short, Annabeth teaches a design class where a bunch of twelve year old kids sit around and design buildings, bridges, rocket ships, anything to their heart's content.

But, she has to go on leave for a few months so who else to teach kids engineering and shop than a son of Hephaestus himself?

I stumbled into my first day ten minutes late, and a group of twenty something kids at wooden tables started to quiet down a bit when they saw me walk in with boxes of metal, bronze, and machine parts.

"Sorry I'm late class." I grunted placing the boxes on the ground. "My girlfriend couldn't figure out how to use the coffee maker, anyway I'm Leo Valdez and I'll be subbing Anna- I mean Mrs. Jackson until she comes back. Anyway, just do whatever you were doing and I'll be in the shop or whatever."

Teaching was easy.

I practically had a set routine.

Show up at seven and set up the shop for a bunch of eighth graders to mess around with wood and nails so they can "build bridges" as in talk to their friends or sleep for the period. Piece of cake.

Then spend the next three hours trying to build, fix, upgrade whatever order that needs to be done.

After that try to avoid the English teacher that keeps trying to flirt with me in the teacher's lounge. Like I needed more reasons to hate reading.

Then spend eighth period trying to entertain the seventh graders who have little motivation to work on their blue prints.

And then there's ninth period.

 _Oh Gods_

Where do I start?

Well, it's a sixth grade class and it's the very last period of the day. As in eighteen hyper twelve year olds who not only finished their 'big project' the last day Annabeth was teaching, but will make anything and everything into a distraction or a game.

I respect their resourcefulness.

Now, don't get me wrong. I can handle a bunch of kids who act like they've eaten a bag full of sugar, I was one of those kids. But it's my 'duty' I have to deal with.

" _Keep an eye on anyone who might be a half blood. It's possible they haven't been claimed yet. So far there hasn't been anyone but I still have suspicions and-"_

" _Annabeth I got this, I can handle some little kids"_

" _Okay just...don't cause any fires, or make seemingly impossible inventions, and don't tinker around the kids because then they'll want to know how to do it or see it and it'll just be a mess of cover ups and disappointments and keep an eye on the ninth period class okay. Don't do anything crazy this time around, it's not the Argo it's middle school design class."_

" _Don't burn anything gotcha."_

So ninth period is never exactly the _best_ class of the day.

That little routine lasted three weeks at best.

I was working on a personal project, something I almost never had time for these days.

It was a lion. A fully automated, full scale, lion with sensors on its mane to scan its surroundings and whatever other bells and whistles I decided to put on there. Of course I wasn't stupid enough to bring celestial bronze with me to class. There would be an uproar. So the simple solution was to make whatever I could out of normal steel and 'normal' materials. I was working on that in shop one afternoon while the class was either summoning underworldly creatures or playing duck duck goose. One of the two.

"What are you doing?" I was startled by the voice and practically jumped out of my skin. Thank Hephaestus I didn't drop the welding wand.

I took off my mask to see a small girl in a red sweatshirt and shorts with her black hair pulled into pigtails. What was her name...Aria? Ally? no it was definitely Aria. "Woah, first off no going into the shop without safety glasses _ever_." I pointed her over to the shelves where Annabeth kept everything neat and orderly, that was until I started to use the shop. Aria put on a pair. "Second off you don't surprise the guy with the welding torch. Either you could get burned or the-the"

How do you explain machine parts to a twelve year old?

"The _thingie_ the welder is using could get messed up."

"Wait couldn't you get burned aso?"

"that's besides the point. Why aren't you talking to the kids or playing..." looking out into the classroom where chaos spurted might've not been the best idea. I could already hear Annabeth scolding me, which by the way is _terrifying_ "whatever that is."

She simply shrugged, "They don't really like me."

 _I've been there…_

"So…" she continued on, "can I help?" Aria had that spark of ambition, knowing most of the people who had that spark, she would end up getting her way regardless of my answer.

"Okay _fine_ but when I'm welding make sure you stand far away from me, and pull up your sleeves. You took the safety test right? and got a waiver signed?"

She nodded

"Okay so this right here is a personal project of mine." a proud smirk appeared on my face as Aria gave a face of amazement. "and is eventually going to become a lion,"

"Why a lion?"

"Stop asking 'why?' and start asking 'why not?'. First rule of inventing. Anyway,you know what an

automaton is right? So we need a basic structure first, that's what I started on here…"


	2. Chapter 2

Annabeth came back to a mess.

The tables were disheveled, chairs were facing the wrong way, her desk had blueprints for some kind of engine that she had not even the lightest of how it worked or what it did, the tools in the workshop were in the wrong place, the sample tiles she had left were gone, and oh yeah.

There was an unfinished automaton thing in the corner.

"Oh hey Annabeth," Leo stood in the doorway with a mug of black coffee that read TEAM LEO in messy black print. "didn't realize you were coming back today." he half smiled.

Annabeth was trying not to scream at him. She took in a deep breath trying to calm herself.

"What did you do to my shop?" her voice dripping with anger and constraint. "And why is there an automaton in my shop?!" She was pissed.

"Woah, calm down I just put it to some use. Honestly most of the machines were covered in dust when was the last time you used them? They were just begging for some use."

"Answer my questions Valdez."

Note to self, never anger a certain blonde.

"Well, if you must know, I used my time as substitute teacher productively. I worked on whatever was due at my workshop, avoiding any order with celestial bronze of course, fixed some things up, and worked on the lion Gabby"

"You named a metal lion Gabby? just how long is Gabby going to take?"

"Five? Six more months...If Aria keeps helping me it might only take four and a half."

"Wait a minute, you're letting Aria help. My own students building some death trap? What if it exploded or something?" Leo scowled at her, just because a few of you inventions don't work out doesn't mean you're no good.

"She wanted to help, besides she wore safety glasses."

"Safety glasses don't prevent fiery combustion of machine parts." Annabeth walked into the shop and started organizing all of the tools. Why were the drill bits with the nails? What are we savages?

"Well than...I would've protected her she would've been alright." she slammed the drawer closed.

"Well, can you take it out of my shop I don't want it collecting dust because you won't find the time to finish it."

"You mean our shop" Leo smirked as Annabeth turned around with a face of confusion and dreadfulness.

"What do you mean?" she narrowed her eyes onto the short latino.

"You're looking at Mr. Valdez, the new metal works teacher."


End file.
